Family of Outcasts
by fangirl4lyfe
Summary: Set in modern times, Thalia and Luke are two teenagers who feel completely broken, and only the other can fix them.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

Thalia never expected she would make friends in this town. Ever.

She definitely didn't intend to. She was very content the way she was, wrapped up in her cynicism. She was happy with the fact that she was an introvert, and she never had to deal with bullying. The popular kids in her high school treated her like she didn't exist, like she wasn't there. But she was, sitting in the back of all her classrooms with Green Day blaring through the electric blue headphones around her neck.

There were few kids like her in the social hell that was Goode high school. She considered herself punk/goth, dressing in darker colors. The only other kid who had a similar sense of style was a sophomore named Luke Castellan.

He was in most of her classes, and like her, he sat in the back. Ragged, messy blonde hair with dark blue tips stuck out in odd angles around his face. He had a few piercings, mostly on his ears, one on his right eyebrow, and snakebites below his bottom lip. He sat in the back left corner in all his classes and kept his head down.

"He's rather handsome." she thought as she walked into her English class on her second day. It was the last class of the day and she was anxious to get away from school.

The bell rang and she took her seat in the back. In this particular class, she sat next to him. As the teacher droned on and on about preparing for the SAT's, she carefully studied him out of the corner of her eye.

He wore ripped black skinny jeans, like hers. His legs were long and thin, yet not gangly. He seemed to like Sleeping With Sirens as well, because he wore a t-shirt with their logo. A studded belt was looped through his belt loops. She looked at his hands, watching as he tapped his fingers against the desk.

"Are those tattoos?!" she wondered, looking at the colorful sections on his right hand and arm. Sure enough, they were, although she couldn't make out what they were.

Turning his head slightly, he met Thalia's gaze. She blushed and looked away, trying to focus her attention on the lesson. She could never manage to pay attention to anything. Something to do with her extreme ADHD or dyslexia.

After what seemed like hours, the bell finally rang and Thalia shoved her books into her bag. She started getting up, but fell back into her seat as a group of boys pushed past her.

"Hey Castellan, how's our little punk doing today?" asked one of the boys. Thalia recognized him as Ethan Nakamura, one of the more popular boys.

Luke picked up his book and tried to push past them, but they shoved him back. He fell back against the wall, groaning and swearing as his head made impact first.

Ethan smirked. "How'd you get that scar, Castellan? Did your crazy mother do that?" he said, earning him laughs from the rest of his group.

Luke looked up, and Thalia saw what he meant. A long scar ran down the left side of his face. He looked at her, his blue/gray eyes giving her a piercing look. The message was simple- get out of here.

Thalia did the exact opposite. She kicked the first and most obvious place she could find.

Ethan howled in pain, and his cronies stood there with vacant expressions.

Grabbing Luke's hand, she pulled him over the desk in between them and made a run for the door. Ethan regained his composure and ran after them.

The hallways were mostly empty, so Thalia dragged Luke behind her to her locker. She fiddled with the lock quickly and swung the door open, grabbing her phone and jacket. As she slammed the door, a hand grabbed her wrist.

"And just who are you? His punk girlfriend?" Ethan's voice rang out as he spun her violently to face him. He grabbed her other wrist and pinned her to the lockers.

She met his gaze defiantly, squirming in his iron grip.

"Your worst nightmare, Nakamura." she shot back confidently, smirking.

He frowned and pressed her into the lockers harder. She could feel bruises beginning to form on her wrists.

"Ethan, get away from her. " Luke growled. He was being rather protective of her, though they had never spoken.

"Oh yeah?" Ethan asked. "Who's gonna stop me?"

Thalia watched in awe as Luke slammed his fist into Ethan's face. Ethan returned the punch, nailing his chest hard. Luke stumbled back, his black army boots clunking against the floor.

Motioning for Thalia to follow him, he ran down the hall and turned the corner. She ran after him, checking their tail. Ethan was holding his eye, watching them go.

Luke pushed through the doors and continued walking.

"Wait!" Thalia called, trying to catch up to him. By the time she did, they were a block away from school.

He turned around to face her, and she looked up at him. She stood 5' 5", but he had to be at least 6 feet.

"What was that? Why do you let him do that to you?" she questioned as he met her eyes.

He looked at the high school, then back to her.

"Not here, come with me." he said, shaking his tangle of hair out of his eyes.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, studying his face.

His eyes pierced hers. They were mesmerizing, and something about them was comforting.

He half-smiled, and although it wasn't much, she knew it was sincere.

"Because I'm like you." he said simply, gesturing to himself and then her.

There were many things that were similar between them. Thalia studied their ripped skinny jeans, their band t-shirts. She noticed that their hair was both dyed, seeing as her pin-straight black hair was dyed red at the tips. They both wore clunky black boots and had multiple piercings. And, she suspected that his "battle scars" were hidden behind his rubber bracelets like hers were.

Slipping her hands into her pockets, she laughed. "Yes you are, Castellan. We're alike."

He grinned, which made her heart flutter slightly. "What on Earth..." she questioned herself, shaking it off. "Am I starting to make a friend?" she asked herself in her head. "Yes, but you like him. He's like you. He's not like the others." her conscience said.

She looked up at him. "Alright. I trust you." she said slowly.

"Good." he said, chuckling softly. "'Cause you're my new best friend."

"What?!" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

He shrugged, sticking his thumbs in his back pockets. "You don't have friends, I don't have friends. Us rejects need to stick together."

"But-" she said, stopping herself and sighing. "Alright."

He smiled triumphantly and pulled his beanie out of his backpack. Setting it on his head, he began walking down the street. "Shall we?" he said, watching her as he walked.

She laughed, slinging her bag on her shoulder. "Wait up!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: don't own these shows.**

Over the course of the next month the two became inseparable. They went everywhere together, if they could. They were the exact thing the other needed. Neither of them had much family, the exception being Thalia's older brother Jason, who worked most of the time to support them.

Luke was normally harsh and cold to everyone, but Thalia was different. It seemed like she completed him, and he had a soft spot for her. Whenever he was around her, he shed the nasty exterior and let his guard come down. He knew that he could trust her.

Showing affection was natural for the two. It never seemed weird if one hugged the other, or kissed their cheek or neck. Friends could do that with one another.

Right?

Sometimes, however, when Thalia walked past Luke, his heartbeat would speed up and he'd get a funny feeling in his stomach. Or if Luke would make faces at Thalia in class, trying to make her laugh, she'd find herself blushing and not know why.

Neither one of them wanted to admit the truth, to the other or even to themselves.

One Saturday, they were sitting on the couch in the apartment Thalia lived in with her brother. Her phone beeped, and she looked at it, trying to read it.

"I think it says my brother's coming home late..." she said, squinting at the text.

Luke held out his hand, and Thalia passed the phone to him. He had dyslexia as well, but not as bad as hers.

"Yeah. He's working till late and he says I should stay here." Luke read, wiggling his eyebrows.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You made up that last part." she said, smirking and sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh, did I really? You wanna go, Grace?" he asked jokingly, lunging at her and pinning her to the couch.

"You're on, Castellan." she said, laughing. She grabbed his arms and rolled him off the couch, landing on top of him on the floor.

He laughed and tried to flip her off of him, but it was no use. She sat on his chest, laughing at him.

"Stop laughing, Thals!" he exclaimed, trying not to burst out laughing himself. She leaned down, close to his face, looking into his eyes.

"Nope." she said, studying his face. His eyes could never decide whether they were blue or gray.

He kissed her nose quickly, using the moment of shock to flip her over and grasp her forearms.

Straddling her hips, he took her wrists in one of his large hands so he could play with her Nirvana t-shirt. The edges were fringed and he found them fascinating.

She watched him intently as he played with her shirt, biting at his snakebites. She wriggled slightly, trying to get her wrists out of his grip. He looked up, meeting her electric blue eyes, and then looking at her wrists in his other hand. His eyes widened slightly for a second as he saw her scars, the rubber bracelets out of place on her wrist.

She tried to sit up, noticing his reaction and knowing what he had seen.

"Luke-" she began.

He shook his head. "I have them too." he whispered, fiddling with his wristbands. She got a glimpse of a scar, pure white. "Half my body is scars." he muttered.

She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, running her thumb over the long scar down his face. He turned away, rolling off her and flopping down on the floor next to her.

"What's wrong?" Thalia asked, a genuine look of concern on her face.

He shook his head and turned to face her. "I don't wanna talk about it."

She rolled over to face him and took his large hands in hers. "You can tell me, I'm your best friend. Remember?"

"Thalia, I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" he growled, yanking his hands away. He rarely called her Thalia, always Thals or another nickname.

Hurt filled her eyes, and she was almost afraid of him in that moment. Luke was impulsive, and that was dangerous. Mostly, he kept it under control, and Thalia had never actually seen him unleash the anger bottled up inside.

He was shocked, and took her hands again. "I'm sorry, Thals. I don't know what came over me." he said, trying to avoid eye contact. Her brilliant blue eyes had a thousand unspoken words behind them, and sometimes they were just too sad to look at.

She held out her arms, and he gladly accepted the hug. Running her fingers through his tangled hair, she held him close.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it." she said as he buried his face in her neck, tangling his long legs with hers. He merely hummed in response.

She laughed slightly. "Geez, Castellan. Cuddly much?"

Luke nodded, grinning.

Thalia had an odd feeling that this was a little TOO friendly for "just friends", yet she didn't try to stop it. She liked the tingly feeling she got from his touch, and wanted more of it. The thought was horrible and wonderful at the same time.

He let himself drift away in her arms for a minute or two. Luke buried his face into her shoulder, and found enjoyment in the fact that their bodies fit together perfectly.

She hummed a nameless tune, running her fingers through his hair. After a while, he pulled back, slightly embarrassed.

"Thanks, Thals." he said, looking away.

She untangled their legs and sat up. "No problem."

He thought for a second. He stood up, walking to the door and grabbing his backpack.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching as he pulled off his beanie, walking back to her.

He set the beanie on her head, smirking down at her. "I'll be back." he said, leaning down and hugging her before walking out the door.

She ran after him, catching up to him as he stepped out into the street. Pouring rain drenched them both, and he kept walking down the street.

"Where the hell are you going?!" she yelled, running behind him.

He turned to face her, walking backwards. "Home."

With a wave he disappeared around the corner, leaving Thalia to wonder where exactly was "home".


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

Luke walked through darkness, rain pouring over his head. He had spent the last month's wages he had earned on a one-way bus ticket to Connecticut. He probably didn't have enough money for the trip home.

Turning the corner, he glanced up at the street sign. Cars rushed by in the distance. He knew he was in the right place.

He ran down the street, stopping in front of a house. Sighing, he stood there, looking at the "for sale" sign on the lawn with a big red "sold" sticker on it.

"At least you're getting the money from it." he muttered to himself, slipping through the gate and unlocking the door with his key.

The house seemed abandoned, but it was clean. The real estate agents had thrown away the beanie babies lining the walkway, and any other old trash in his house. He had told them to. He didn't need them, they were just empty reminders. Memories that were fading quickly, and he didn't want them anyways.

He stepped into the kitchen, and could almost see his mother making him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after school. Sighing, he peered in the cabinets. Nothing. They were empty.

Walking into a hallway and through another door, he saw that his mother's room was empty as well.

The only thing he had asked them to leave untouched until he closed up the house was his room.

He twisted the knob, pushing open the door that hadn't been opened in years.

The last time Luke had been in here, he was twelve. Now, he stood in his room at sixteen, trying to hold back tears that shouldn't be there.

He walked around slowly, taking in the sight of a room that hadn't been changed since he was 8. Fiddling with some figurines on his dresser, he looked around for anything worth salvaging. A box sat in the corner of the room, and he shoved a few things in and shut the door firmly behind him.

He scribbled a quick note to the real estate agent and taped it to the door. The note read:

Came to the house, picked up some stuff. Throw the rest out.

-Luke

He locked the door, putting the key in the mailbox.

Looking at the house sadly, he turned and walked back to the main road.

He examined a map, standing under the roof of a bus stop. In his pocket, he felt his phone vibrate again. Thalia had tried to call him several times in the past 24 hours, but he hadn't answered.

He trudged down the muddy streets, humming a tune. Singing softly, he shoved his free hand in his pocket.

"I'm out of touch, I'm out of love.

I'll pick you up when you're getting down.

And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now."

The song, Lego House, had gotten stuck in his head on the bus ride. He actually liked it, even though it was completely different from what he usually listened to. Luke preferred loud punk music over modern pop, but something about that song stuck with him.

Maybe, it was the fact that she was the only thing on his mind whenever he heard it.

He stopped in front of a large, wrought-iron gate. Looking into them, he pushed them open and stepped into the small cemetery.

He looked around, studying the arrangement of the cemetery.

"Castellan...Castellan..." he muttered, walking around and reading the names.

When he read her name, Luke stopped dead in his tracks and nearly dropped the box. Seeing as the rain had almost stopped, he sat down cross-legged in front of the tombstone.

"Hey mom." he said cautiously, taking a deep breath. "Um...things are going alright. Someone bought the house." he continued.

A silence fell over the graveyard. Luke hadn't expected a response anyways.

"I've gotten a few tattoos, pierced a few body parts since you died." he added, nearly laughing. "Dyed my hair, too." he muttered, shaking his blue-tipped hair out of his eyes.

"School's not that great, but it's always been social hell. I met a girl, and her name is Thalia." he said, and he could picture his mom smiling.

He grinned, shifting his foot and retying his sneaker. "She's punk, like me. I finally found someone who I can listen to screamo with." he said. "You always hated my music, thought it was scary."

"I know I wasn't the best son, and I'm sorry for that. I was just confused, and I felt alone." he whispered, playing with the grass.

A sob escaped his mouth, and he buried his face in his knees. He cried for a few minutes, letting himself slip away from his bitterness.

After a while, he sniffed, wiping the tears off his face. "I'm not alone anymore, though. Thalia's watching out for me, and her brother Jason. She's special, and I think..." he whispered, trailing off.

Smiling sadly, he touched the tombstone as he got up. "Love you, mom. Next time I come, I'll bring her with me, okay?"

Picking up the box, he walked down the row of graves and to the gate. He stopped for a moment, looking back. With a shake of his head he ran out, pulling the gate shut behind him.

He counted the money in his pocket as the bus slowed in front of the stop. Not enough for the full trip back to the city. Luke sighed, knowing he'd have to walk part of the way back.

Handing the driver his remaining money and taking a seat in the back, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. 11 missed calls from Thalia, and 3 texts. He clicked through them, looking for the bottom of the list of missed alerts.

Struggling to read the last message, he put the box on the seat next to him. After a minute, he managed to arrange the letters in the right order. The message was simple:

"Please, come home soon. Happy Birthday, Luke.

-Thalia"

"Happy Sweet 16, Luke." he muttered as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

Thalia was worried sick about Luke. He hadn't answered any of her calls or texts, and he had been really mysterious Saturday night. To top it off, he didn't show up to school on Monday, and Thalia was alone.

She sat in her first period Algebra class, texting his phone. Class hadn't started yet, and she was starting to freak out. He usually came to class 10 minutes before it started, and he wasn't at his desk yet.

The bell rang, and she dropped her phone into her bag, sighing. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Luke would at least be late.

No such luck. Thalia rested her head in her hands, staring into space as her teacher droned on and on about the Algebra test next week.

The day crawled by, and she was miserable. She couldn't do much of anything because she was worried sick for her best friend. At lunch, she was going to sit alone until Annabeth, a girl she vaguely knew from when they were little, asked her to sit with them. Even then, she didn't talk much, though Annabeth and her friends were actually nice to her.

Finally, the day was over, and Thalia slumped to her locker. She looked down the hall, half-expecting to see Luke at his locker, grinning back at her.

She sighed and took out her jacket, slamming the door shut. Walking down the hallway, she barely noticed the gang of boys catching up to her.

Someone grabbed her arm, and she turned back to see Ethan Nakamura and his friends sneering at her.

"Where's your little boyfriend? Did he finally leave you?" he teased, earning a laugh from the rest of them.

Staring him down, Thalia watched as he paced in a circle around her. "Luke's not my boyfriend."

"You're a feisty one, but I like that." he growled, grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him quickly.

She tried to get out of his grasp, but he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head.

He snickered and slid his other hand over her shirt. "Why don't you join us? We could have some fun."

"Fuck off, Nakamura." she said, kicking his shin and turning around. She ran down the hallway, but they followed her.

"Stop, Ethan." a voice rang out, and Thalia turned to see Percy and Annabeth standing between her and the gang of boys.

With a shrug, they turned around. "See you around, Grace." Ethan called, disappearing around the corner of the hallway.

Annabeth rushed towards her. "Are you alright? What happened?" she asked in a tone of worry.

She shook her head. "He's just an asshole, is all."

Percy joined them, taking Annabeth's hand in his. "Do you want a ride home? My mom's here to pick us up." he asked.

"No thanks, I've gotta find Jason anyways." Thalia lied, faking a smile.

With a nod and "goodbyes" the couple walked out of the doors.

Slipping on her sweatshirt, she pulled her phone out of her bag and dialed Luke. Walking out of the doors, she was sent to voicemail.

"Ugh! Luke, please pick up! You're scaring me now!" she spoke into the phone. She hung up and dialed again, and got the same result.

As she walked down the street, she continued calling his phone.

A ringtone went off as she passed the elementary school playground. She stopped dead in her tracks, because the ringtone sounded familiar. Nearly positive it was Luke's, she threw her bag over the fence and climbed over.

"Luke?! Hello?" she called, running around. Eventually, she spotted him, asleep on the ground behind the slide.

She ran over to him, a feeling of relief spreading over her body. "Where have you been?!" she yelled, shaking his arm until he woke up.

He stared into space for a second, and his eyes focused themselves on Thalia.

"Oh hey, Thals." he said, sitting up. His dark red t-shirt clung to his skin, soaked through.

She smacked him, and he was shocked.

"Where the hell have you been?! You disappear for 2 days and all I get is an 'oh, hey'?!" she yelled as he rubbed his face.

"Geez, Thals!" he said, his cheek becoming red from her hand.

Tackling him in a hug, she tangled her fingers in his hair.

"You scared me half to death!" she exclaimed, tears filling her eyes.

The hug knocked Luke flat, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry." he murmured, stroking her hair. Thalia could feel that his ripped black jeans were soaked through to his skin as well.

She lay in his arms for a few moments until she got a tingly feeling in her stomach. Slightly embarrassed, she rolled off of him and sat up.

He sat up as well, taking her small hands in his larger ones. "I went back home." he muttered, playing with her fingers.

The same tingly feeling shot up from her hands, and she ducked her head to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Connecticut?" she asked, and he nodded.

She rubbed her wrists, which were starting to bruise slightly. Luke's eyes widened and he took her wrists, eying them.

"What happened?" he asked, holding her forearms up and examining the bruises.

"Ethan sorta maybe kinda assaulted me in school a little." she understated, trying to calm the fire that was beginning to flicker in Luke's eyes.

He rubbed his thumbs over the bruises, trying to control his temper. "It's my fault. I should've been there..." he trailed off, looking away.

Thalia pulled a hand away from his grasp and touched his face. He looked back at her, and she ran her thumb over his scar. She was the only one he let touch it, so much as bring it up.

"It's not your fault. I'm fine." she whispered, managing to smile slightly.

Looking into her eyes, he shook his head. "He hurt you. That's not okay." he said, placing his hand over hers.

"I'm fine!" she exclaimed, watching as he took her wrists again. He poked them, and she winced.

"Sure, you're fine." he whispered, pressing his lips to the bruises.

Thalia blushed a deep shade of pink, and she felt something inside her click into place.

"Better?" he asked, grinning at her.

She nodded, smiling and hugging him.

However, she just couldn't push that feeling out of her head. It was like the last piece of a puzzle had been put into place, and she saw the picture clearly.

But admitting it, even to herself, was definitely out of the question.

Right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

**A/N: hey guys! this chapter is all fluffy at the end which I've had written for weeks! I don't know why, into it popped into my head one day and I knew it would fit into my story somewhere. hope you enjoy it!**

The week crawled past, and finally it was Friday. At the end of the day, Thalia stood by her locker, pulling on her oversized gray sweatshirt as she waited for Luke. A teacher had called him into her office, and Thalia was worried that it was serious.

She pulled his black beanie over her short, choppy hair. Her eyes locked on the door, waiting for him to come out.

He opened the creaky door and walked to his locker silently, keeping his head down. She ran over, flapping her arms in an attempt to get him to laugh.

"What happened?" she said, her long sleeves covering her hands. He didn't answer and unlocked his locker.

Stepping in between him and the metal door, she looked up at him. "C'mon, tell me!" she half-whined, looking into his blue-gray eyes.

His eyes flitted to her lips, and he thought about his feelings for her. Luke knew that he liked her as more than a friend, but she would never return those feelings.

Frowning, he rested his forearms on the locker above her head. "It's nothing, Thals. Can I please open my locker now?" he said, sounding frustrated.

She shook her head, reaching up and touching his scar gently. It was her way of reminding him not to lose his temper, and how bad things happened when he did. He thought it was adorable, but right then, it annoyed him slightly.

"It was about the permission slip she handed out. She asked me to get it signed by my mom or dad." he muttered, looking down.

"Oh." she said, fiddling with his beanie. "But why can't your mom just sign it, even though she lives in Connecticut?" she questioned.

He picked her up by the waist and moved her out of the way, ignoring her question.

Frowning, she grabbed his arm, and he looked at her.

"Cause she's dead, that's why. Happy?" he said, slamming his locker closed and turning down the hallway.

"Luke! Wait!" she called, catching up to him and taking his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." she murmured.

He twisted his hand from her grip, and continued walking. "I know." he said bitterly, pushing through the doors and outside.

She let him go. Sighing, she leaned against the lockers. "Stupid move, Thals." she muttered as she stood up straight and walked out the door.

Outside, Luke was nowhere to be seen. She trudged down the street and into the elementary school playground. Memories from her childhood came back to her, but she forced them out of her mind. Climbing up onto the monkey-bars, she looked around the deserted school yard. She laid back and looked up at the clouds.

For some reason, she could only clear her head when she was there. Normally, Thalia was terrified of heights, but this was an exception.

After a long while, the sky started getting dark. Feeling better, she climbed back down and pulled her phone out of her pocket and plugging it into her headphones. She slipped them around her neck and raised the volume, playing Green Day as she walked to her apartment.

Once she got there, she climbed the stairs and stopped in front of her door. Thalia felt along the top ledge of the doorframe for the spare key, but it wasn't there.

"Maybe Jason took it." she thought aloud, digging around in her bag for her own key. When she unlocked the door, she nearly tripped over a maroon backpack on the floor. Luke's.

"Hello?" she called, locking the door and setting her own backpack down.

"In here." a voice called, and Thalia saw the spare key on the kitchen table as she walked to her bedroom.

Luke sat with his back against the wall, watching her walk in slowly.

He stretched out his arms, beckoning her to take his hands. She obliged, climbing onto her bed and sitting across from him.

He shook his head and pulled her arms toward him sharply. She understood and moved to sit in his lap, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

Luke pulled her closer, needing her calming touch. Inhaling the scent of strawberries she always carried, he relaxed and cleared his throat. She drew back and met his eyes, questioning him silently.

"I'm ready. I want to talk about everything." he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She nodded, taking his hands.

He took a deep breath, shaking slightly. Thalia kissed his knuckles, then his fingertips, silently urging him to speak.

"I ran away when I was nine." he began, looking into her eyes. They were calm, reflecting her peaceful yet curious expression.

"I was alone. My dad was never around, and my mom...well...she was never the same after my dad left us."

She nodded, rubbing circles on his hand with her thumb. "I never knew my dad either." she whispered.

He looked down to where their hands met, watching her. She smiled softly, leaning against his chest.

"I lived on the streets for years. When I finally decided to go back, when I was around 12, I discovered that my mom had gone completely insane." he muttered, almost in a whisper.

Thalia nuzzled her head into his chest, trying to comfort him.

"After a few days I was out on the street again. I've spent the last almost-4 years alone, living in an apartment above that bakery on East 22nd. I work for the elderly woman who owns it, and she gives me a room and dinner plus my wages."

Thalia made a small humming sound in response. He wasn't sure whether to panic or laugh at the fact that she was being so cuddly.

Just the idea of her being here, completely focused on him was enough to make his heart beat out of his chest.

Luke shifted his hands from her grasp and pointed to a tattoo on his right hand.

"This one's from the anniversary of my dad leaving us." he said bitterly. "It had been 15 years since we'd heard from him."

The tattoo was of a skull and crossbones. She pressed her lips to the ink, watching his expression.

"The other one's from the day I found out..." he said, trying not to choke over his words "That my mom had died."

This one was a black lily. Just the same, Thalia kissed it. He knew she was working to rid him of all the pain he'd been caused, and it felt really good, his skin tingling all over.

He continued explaining his tattoos, watching her. He slid his hand to his wrist, pulling off all his rubber bracelets.

"And these..." he trailed off, staring at the scars grimly.

Thalia brushed her hand against his face for a moment, staring into his eyes. She took his wrist lightly and kissed his scars, her eyes becoming slightly watery.

He took a deep breath before moving on, the final explanation.

"I got into a fight when I was fourteen. Someone had a switchblade, and they-" he said, stopping himself. His hands were balled up, and he was breathing heavier.

She placed her hands over his, and he gradually unclenched his fists at her touch. His breathing evened out and she smiled. Her touch was gentle, soft, like she was being careful with him. Trailing a line of kisses down the scar, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Luke blushed bright red, somehow coming back to a consciousness. He began to comprehend all she'd been doing. This wasn't "just friends". This crossed the line, and he wasn't sure if he should stop it. If he wanted to stop it.

She noticed his hesitation and pulled away from him, feeling slightly guilty.

"I'm sorry. I'm making you uncomfortable." she blurted out, starting to get up.

He shook his head, pulling her back into his lap. "No, it's fine. You're not." he said, bringing her closer to him. "I like this." he whispered, hugging her.

"Seriously?" she asked in a tone of shock. He nodded, chuckling.

"Who knew you had a soft spot?" she asked jokingly, pulling away and resting her forehead on his.

He smiled, blushing slightly. "Only for you." he whispered, longing to press his lips to hers, to show her how much she meant to him.

She leaned in slowly, her eyes flitting between his eyes and his lips. He snaked his hands around her waist, pulling her against him and closing the gap between them.

A thrill of emotions exploded in Thalia's stomach, and she smiled against his mouth. Cupping his jaw with her hand, she deepened the kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away, a huge grin on his face.

"I've been waiting to do that since I first met you." he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

She blushed, smiling at him. "Me too." she admitted, fiddling with his black t-shirt in an attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks.

He shook his messy hair out of his eyes, biting at the piercings below his lip. It was a nervous habit of his, and Thalia found it extremely adorable.

"Well, we could do this for a while." he said, smirking at her.

She stifled a very un-hardcore giggle and nodded. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too." he said, leaning in and biting at her bottom lip.

A gasp escaped her mouth, and she was tempted to hit him. Instead, she flashed him a smirk and leaned in, pressing her lips to his again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- I don't own these books.**

**A/N: here's some fluff for you!**

Thalia felt happier than she could remember feeling in a long time. It was a giddy sort of feeling that usually came from discovering that your best friend returned your feelings for him, and having spent the past half hour making out with him.

They had come out of Thalia's bedroom, hand in hand.

"So...does this mean..." she stuttered, blushing slightly.

He laughed, blushing also. "Well...if you want...I mean, I do but..." he said, looking down to where their hands met.

She smiled, nodding. "Of course! I guess it's official, then." she replied.

"I never thought I'd have someone I'd call my girlfriend." he admitted, laughing and plunking himself down on the couch in the living room.

She giggled slightly, ruffling his hair as she sat next to him.

Just then, the phone rang. Luke reached over and picked it up off the table, answering it.

"Hello?" he said, turning the phone on speaker.

"Hey Luke, it's Jason." the voice from the other side said. "What a shocker, you're in our apartment." he said sarcastically, laughing.

Luke chuckled. "I know, right?" he joked.

"Is Thalia with you?" Jason asked.

"Yep! Right here." she chirped, rolling her eyes at his question. "What's up?"

"I'm working till 9, and then I'm going to Piper's. Order takeout or something, okay?" Jason said.

Thalia laughed. "Alright! Tell Piper I said hi." she replied, standing up.

"Will do." Jason said, and he ended the call.

She walked to the fridge and looked in it, scanning the contents. Deciding there was nothing worth eating, she sat down on the couch again, cross-legged.

"So, what are we eating?" Luke asked, taking her hands and playing with her fingers.

Oddly enough, her mood seemed to change completely with that one question. "I don't know." she said with a shrug, looking down.

"I need food! I'm a growing boy!" he said, laughing and rubbing his stomach with one hand.

She scoffed, laughing with him. "Luke, you're like, 6 feet tall. You're not getting any taller."

He laughed again, watching as she played with her sock. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing." she said, looking up at him. His blue-gray eyes pierced her bright blue ones, searching for an answer in them.

He shook his head, not breaking eye contact. "I don't think it's nothing." he said, barely above a whisper.

Thalia looked away, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them. "I wasn't exactly planning on eating." she blurted out.

He raised his eyebrows, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean?" he questioned her.

She shifted her legs again. "Have you seen this?" she muttered, raising the edge of her shirt and poking first at her flat stomach and then her thighs.

A hurt look appeared in his eyes, and he realized what she meant.

"Please tell me that you eat when Jason's not home." he whispered, scooting closer to her.

She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't do that." she whispered back. "I'd be lying."

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned back. Pulling her to lay on his chest, he stroked her hair.

"Why? You're perfect." he said, kissing the top of her head.

She fisted her hands in his shirt, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not even close."

"You're perfectly skinny, Thals." he whispered, which caused her to cry harder.

He rubbed circles into her back, and she gradually calmed down. "You gotta eat, baby girl." he whispered into her ear.

"I don't wanna." she muttered, burying her face into his neck.

In one swift move, he got off the couch, carrying her in his arms. She locked her legs around his waist, snuggling into his chest like a little kid.

He opened the fridge with his foot, shifting Thalia to his hip and looking for something, anything to eat. Grabbing a carton of leftover Chinese food, he closed the fridge and found a fork in one of the drawers. He sat down on the floor with her in his lap.

"Eat." he said, holding up a forkful of lo mein.

She shook her head, keeping her lips shut tightly.

He kissed her softly, and she opened her mouth obediently and swallowed the food. Taking the container from him, she took another bite.

Luke refused to eat until she did, and after a while, Thalia managed to eat half the carton.

"That's my girl." he said softly, kissing her forehead. Taking the carton from her hands, he took a bite of lo mein and glanced at the girl in front of him. She had her head down and was fiddling with her necklace intently.

She had been through so much, and it had made her look strong. He knew she must've spent years building walls to guard herself from being hurt again. Sometimes, however, she'd let him see behind those walls, let him see that they weren't as stable as they seemed. He was shocked at how vulnerable she really was, and although he was only a few months older, she could seem so much younger.

He shifted her to sit with her back against his chest and slipped his hands into her shirt.

"See this?" he said, looking at her and resting his large hands on her stomach.

She turned her head slightly and looked at him, a tingly feeling spreading through her body at his warm hands on her.

He moved his head closer, kissing her lips. "It's perfect, just the way it is." he whispered as he pulled away.

Finishing the container, he threw it away and stood up, still carrying her. She didn't protest, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Thalia loved the fact that he didn't let her leave his grip for a moment.

She made a small humming noise, and looked up. Her eyes locked themselves on him.

"What?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and smiling.

She grinned, knotting her fingers in his hair as he sat down on the couch.

"Thanks, Luke." she said in a small voice, reaching up and playing with his snakebites.

He laughed, watching as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "No problem, I mean, we take care of eachother, right?" he said, laying back and switching the TV on.

She nodded resting herself on his chest. "Yes. Yes we do." she whispered, poking at the piercing. "We're the outcast family."

Smiling sadly, he guided her lips to his with his hand. "We're family now." he mumbled against her mouth.

Thalia pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

She pulled away after a moment, biting at his piercings softly. He smirked, sliding his hands up her back and into her short hair. She smiled and nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

They cuddled for a while, and between the drone of the TV and the sound of Luke's steady breathing under her, she fell asleep.

Kissing her forehead, he closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Thals." he whispered, letting himself fall asleep.

* * *

"Hey guys! I'm-" Jason called as he walked in. He stopped himself when he saw the two asleep in eachother's arms, and a smile spread over his face.

Luke's eyes fluttered open, looking around before focusing on Jason.

"Hey." Jason half-whispered, trying not to laugh.

His eyes widened and a blush crept to his cheeks. "Hey, Jason." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Close to midnight." Jason replied, hanging up his coat and sitting down at the kitchen table. He gestured to the seat in front of him.

Luke nodded, sitting up carefully in an attempt to not wake Thalia. Carrying her in his arms, he stood up and walked towards the hallway. A groan escaped her lips and she started to wake up.

He kissed her forehead, walking to her room and setting her down on her bed. Returning to the kitchen, he sat down across from Jason.

"We weren't doing anything, we just fell asleep..." Luke blurted out.

Jason laughed. "I know, I trust you." he said, watching as the worried expression disappeared from Luke's face. "But I've been around long enough to tell that you two are a couple now." he continued, smirking.

"You haven't been around that long, you're only a few months older than me!" Luke said, laughing. "But are you okay with us?"

The scar on Jason's lip appeared when he smiled. "Like I said, I trust you. Thalia's seemed happier since you two met."

"I got her to eat today." Luke mumbled, looking at him.

Jason frowned slightly. "Really? Usually when she starts that up, she gets really stubborn."

A loud bang came from the hallway, and Thalia appeared in the doorway, now in her pajamas. She could barely stand up straight, and she leaned against the doorframe. Luke held out his arms, and she half-stumbled over to him, hugging him.

Jason sat there, laughing at the scene. "Tired much, Thal?" he asked.

She nodded. "Wanna go to bed." she mumbled, pulling on Luke's arm.

He smiled, trying not to laugh at cute, drowsy Thalia. "You go to bed, then."

She shook her head. "You come with me."

Luke blushed slightly, glancing at Jason, who nodded in approval. Thalia walked back to the doorway, waiting for him.

"We'll finish talking tomorrow, okay? I'll explain everything..." Jason said, standing up.

Luke nodded, smiling. "Alright." he said, starting to follow Thalia down the hallway.

Jason grabbed his arm, and Luke turned. "Take good care of my sister, okay?" he asked hoarsely.

Luke nodded, holding his hand out. "Of course."

They shook hands, and Jason walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Good night, you two." he mumbled, smiling as they disappeared down the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books.**

Luke woke up early the next morning, remembering where he was. He looked at his girlfriend next to him, who was snoring softly. He had fallen asleep with an arm over her stomach, reminding her that she was perfect to him. Kissing her forehead, he slipped out of her bed and walked down the hallway.

Jason was in the kitchen, making coffee. "Morning!" he said as he washed his hands.

"Morning, Jason." Luke replied, rubbing his eyes and sitting down at the table.

Jason sat across from him, a slightly worried expression on his face. "I need to explain what happened last night." he said.

Nodding, Luke rested his elbows on the table.

"Every now and then, Thalia goes through this phase where she thinks that she's not good enough. She's really self conscious and sometimes she goes into these little states of eating disorders." Jason said, looking intently at Luke.

"Yeah, last night she said she wasn't going to eat." Luke said, twiddling his long fingers.

Jason sighed, resting his head in his hands. "She scares me sometimes." he muttered.

Luke rested his hand on Jason's arm, and he looked up.

"We'll take care of her together. She's gonna be fine." he said confidently.

Just then, the coffee machine beeped. Jason stood up and poured two cups, handing one to Luke.

"Thanks." Luke said, taking the mug. A few loud bangs sounded from the hallway, and Thalia ran in.

"Gimme some!" she said, pulling Jason's sleeve.

He sighed, trying not to laugh. "It'll stunt your growth, Thal."

She stepped back, gesturing to herself. "I'm already this short, so give me my coffee." she said, a tone of sass in her voice.

Luke laughed, drinking his coffee. Jason reluctantly poured her a cup, and she snatched it from him.

"Yaaay." she said, drawing out the word and sitting next to Luke. She looked over at him and burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Clutching her stomach, she stopped laughing.

"Your hair looks like it exploded." she said simply, grinning and taking a sip of her coffee.

He laughed, smoothing his hair down. "You're one to talk, Thals." he said, ruffling her hair.

Smiling, she drank the rest of her coffee. Jason grabbed his keys and opened the door.

"Percy and Annabeth are picking me up, and we're going to Piper's. Be back later, okay?" he called, shutting the door.

"Okay!" they chorused, and Luke finished his coffee. "I've got you all to myself now." he said, a mischievous grin spreading over his face.

Blushing, Thalia shoved his arm lightly. "You've gotta go change clothes though, right?" she asked.

He nodded and took her cup, putting them in the sink. "Yeah, I figured we'll walk over there." he said, pulling her up from her chair. She stood with her body pressed up to his, looking up into his eyes. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. Her hands tangled themselves in his hair and his rested on her waist.

Neither of them wanted to move, standing there in complete silence. Luke tried stealing kisses, but Thalia would pull away just before his lips met hers.

"Stop, and let me kiss you!" he half-whined after a few failed attempts, laughing.

She giggled, inching her lips closer and teasing him. "You're cute when you're frustrated." she whispered, turning and running down the hallway to her room.

Shaking his head and chuckling slightly, he plunked himself on the floor, sitting cross-legged.

After a few minutes, Thalia reappeared, dressed in dark jeans and a Green Day t-shirt. Sitting cross-legged as well on top of his legs, she locked her eyes on him.

He laughed, watching as her eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip stuck out slightly in concentration. "What?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Giggling slightly again, she blew a piece of his blue-tipped hair out of his eyes. Leaning in to kiss her, he bit at his snakebites. She jerked her head back, but he caught it with his hands.

"Gotcha." he whispered, pulling her head closer to his slowly.

Their lips connected, and the same feeling of excitement and pleasure washed over Luke. Staying like that for a few minutes, Thalia smiled against his mouth.

Pulling away, Luke stood up and planted her on her feet. "C'mon." he said, walking to the door and pulling on his army boots. She slipped into her Converse, picking up her bag and his backpack. After fishing out his beanie and pulling it over her choppy shoulder length hair, she backed out of the door. Holding up his backpack, an evil grin spread over her face.

He walked out, sticking her key in the door and locking it. Pocketing the small piece of metal, he closed in on her, pressing her against the wall gently.

"You gonna give that back?" he asked, holding her waist so she couldn't escape.

"Are you gonna give me my key back?" she countered, staring him down defiantly.

Laughing, he turned and walked down the stairs with her at his heels. Taking his hand as they walked out into the street, she shoved her bag into his backpack and slung it on her back.

Fiddling with the key, Luke glanced sideways at his girlfriend. She was grinning at him, the mischievous glimmer in her eyes.

Falling behind him, she rested her hands on his shoulders, jumping up. He caught her legs, laughing as she snuggled her face into his neck.

"Geez Thals, a warning at least?"

he said, hoisting her up. She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he walked.

After a few minutes, they reached his apartment. Setting her down, Luke pulled a chain out from around his neck. Unlocking the door with the key hanging from the necklace, he pushed the door open and ran up the stairs. She followed, shutting the door behind her.

He stopped at the door, waiting for her. Taking her hand in his, he knocked as he twisted the knob and walked in.

"Dem? I'm back!" he called, closing the door.

A woman in her mid-50's walked in, hugging Luke. "You scared me! Not telling me where you were going." she scolded, but lovingly. Hitting the back of his head, she pulled away and stretched her arms out to Thalia.

"You must be Thalia! I've heard so much about you!" she said, hugging her as well. She hugged back, smirking at Luke over her shoulder, who was blushing.

"It's nice to meet you." she said, pulling back and smiling.

"Thals, this is Demeter. She's taken care of me since I was 12." he said, wrapping an arm around the older woman affectionately.

Ruffling his hair, she laughed. "You look like you need more cereal, Luke." she exclaimed, grabbing a watering can from a small closet. "Well, I'm off to water the plants out back." she said, walking out the door.

"Cereal?" Thalia asked as soon as she was sure they were out of earshot.

Chuckling, Luke led her to his room and walked in. "Yeah, she's a little" he said, finishing the sentence by wiggling his fingers by his ears. Thalia walked around slowly, looking around.

The walls were black, and a few band posters hang on them. Climbing onto his bed, she looked at pictures that were taped to his headboard.

"I remember that day." she said, laughing slightly at a picture strip of the two of them. Her eyes flitted to another one of a young Luke with a tall woman. She didn't resemble him, but as she looked closer, she saw they had the same eyes.

"Is this your mom?" she asked softly, and Luke nodded. He rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a clean pair of ripped jeans and a Pierce the Veil t-shirt.

"I'll be right back." he said, walking out and down the hall. Following him silently, Thalia slipped into the bathroom after he did, pressing her back against the door. His shirt was already off, revealing his toned chest.

"Go away!" he exclaimed, laughing. She shook her head, running her eyes down his body. His jeans hung low on his hips, and the waistband of his boxers showed over the top.

He thought she looked adorable, pressed up against the wall with her mouth open a tiny bit as she scanned her eyes over his body.

"You're checking me out, Grace." he said, walking towards her slowly.

"Am not!" she protested as he rested his hands on her hips. Her hands rested themselves on his chest, and she tried to keep eye contact.

He kissed her softly, pulling away to nuzzle his head into hers. His hair tickled her nose, and she giggled.

"At least close your eyes." he said, turning and walking away from her. Placing her hands over her eyes obediently, she smirked as she peeked through her fingers.

He laughed, knowing what she was doing but continued to strip anyways. He kept his boxers on, wiggling into the other pair of jeans. Holding his t-shirt in one hand, he walked over to her again.

"I think you'd rather me stay like this." he said, watching as her finger traced his abs.

Nodding, she smirked confidently. He let her explore his chest for a minute before slipping on his shirt.

"C'mon, we're going to the park." he said, laughing as she mock-pouted. "I'll push you on the swings." he bribed, and Thalia grinned happily.

"Our couple-place." she said, pulling him out of the bathroom and picking his backpack up in his room.

He smiled, nodding. "I like that." he said, pulling the beanie over her black-lined eyes as he ran out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books.**

"C'mon, it's not that high!" Luke said. He had climbed the fence nimbly and swung over to the other side. Thalia, on the other hand, sat at the top trying not to look down.

She grabbed his hand, and he smiled softly as he tried pulling her off. Gasping, she yanked her hand away and gripped the fence.

"No!" she protested, biting her lip. A sigh escaped his lips, and he stretched out his arms.

Shaking her head, she looked back.

"Thals, you can't get down either way. Jump." he said patiently, watching as her knuckles turned white.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off the ledge, and Luke caught her.

"See? Not so bad." he said, setting her down. He took her hand in his, smiling as he walked around.

"Not so bad." Thalia repeated, running over to the swings and pulling her with him. "You said you'd push me."

Laughing, he kissed her cheek. "That I did." he said, sitting down on one and pulling her into his lap.

"Unless you'd rather do this again." she whispered confidently, slipping a hand into his shirt and kissing him quickly.

He smirked, tangling his fingers in her hair. "Maybe later." he said as her hand wandered around his chest. Looking down to where her hand met his body, he watched her with a small blush on his cheeks.

"You like this." she teased, resting her head on his shoulder.

"What?! No!" he exclaimed, trying to hide the red blush that had found its way to his cheeks.

Kissing his cheek, she made a small humming noise. "It's cute when you blush." she whispered, lingering close to his ear. She found enjoyment in the fact that his breathing had become heavier, and he was obviously trying to restrain himself.

Smirking, she stood up and sat down on the swing next to him. "I like it here." she said, smiling.

"Me too." Luke replied, taking her hand. "Definitely our couple place."

* * *

After a while of running around and persuasion, the two were over the fence and walking back to Thalia's apartment. They were nearly there when they realized someone was behind them.

"Hey, Castellan." a voice called from behind them. Turning, they saw Ethan Nakamura walking towards them. His dimwitted friends were right behind him.

Gripping Thalia's hand, Luke stared him down. "What do you want?" he spat, glaring at the other boy.

Shrugging, an evil glint appeared in his eyes. "Just...in the neighborhood." he replied, smirking.

"C'mon, Thals, let's go." Luke said, backing away.

"How's your mom?" Ethan sneered, and that set him off. Pushing her behind him, he ran forward.

Throwing a punch, it connected with Ethan's chest. Groaning, the other boy slammed his fist into Luke's jaw. The rest of his posse attacked Luke, loyal to their gang leader.

"Stop!" Thalia yelled, trying to pull Luke away. Ethan pushed him, and he fell, scraping a few parts of his skin on the pavement and banging his head.

"Fiery. I like it." Ethan growled, looping his fingers into her belt loops and yanking her towards him. Her body slammed into his, and he smirked happily. "Pretty too." he added, touching her cheek.

"Get your dirty hands off me, Nakamura." she said, trying to twist herself from his grip. Luke tried to stand, a dizzy feeling spreading over his body. The other boys surrounded him, shoving him.

"Wouldn't you rather play around with someone reliable? That little street scum could be here one day and gone the next." he offered cockily, grinning down at her.

"I don't 'play around'." was all she could say, trying to kick him.

Pressing his lips to hers violently, he slid his hands into her shirt.

Thalia tried to yank her head away, but he grabbed it and held it still. Hitting his chest, she screamed for help against his mouth.

He pulled away, attacking her neck with his teeth. His hands slid higher until they had slipped themselves into her bra.

At that point, Luke managed to stand and push his way through the gang, kicking Ethan in the gut. Pulling Thalia down the street, they ran into her apartment building and up the stairs to her door.

"I can't believe it." Luke muttered, unlocking the door and throwing his bag down. Thalia followed silently, collapsing into a small heap on the floor.

Sobbing, she looked up as Luke knelt down. "H-he violated me." she muttered, crying into his shirt.

"C'mon, babe." he said, struggling to pick her up off the floor. Cradling her in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the counter as he pulled off his shirt.

He was cut up, blood still running out of his scrapes. Looking in the mirror, he examined his dislocated jaw. Wincing, he popped it back into place quickly.

Thalia slipped her shirt off and found a washcloth. She scrubbed the skin he had touched on her stomach until it was raw. Turning away, she pulled her bra off and scrubbed the skin there, too. Pulling it back on, she looked at Luke. Pushing her hair off her shoulders, he buckled it, planting a kiss on her back.

Taking another washcloth, she wiped the blood off his face gently. He winced, and she gripped his hand. As soon as he was all cleaned up, she rinsed her mouth.

"That son of a bitch hurt you." she mumbled.

Luke shook his head, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm absolutely fine. It's you who got hurt." he whispered, and she hugged him as a tear ran down her face.

"H-he..." she stuttered, touching a bruise on her neck.

Hoisting her up on the counter, Luke rested his forehead against hers. "I promise you that I will never, ever let him do that again." he said, spreading her legs apart slightly and leaning against the counter in between them.

"He s-said you were g-gonna leave." she blurted out in between sobs.

Sighing, he shook his head. "I love you way too much to ever leave you. I'm staying right here, or I'm taking you with me." he whispered, and her sobs subsided.

Taking her hands, he pulled her off the counter. Copying Ethan's movements, he gently pulled her by her belt loops. Pressing his lips to hers softly, he let his hands rest on her stomach. Trailing kisses down her neck, he slid his hands higher, letting his fingertips rest just inside the fabric of her bra.

"Un-violated?" he whispered, kissing the bruises on her neck. She nodded, closing her eyes. He was gentle with her, like she was fragile.

"You are the best friend I could ever ask for." she murmured as he kissed her again.

"Don't you mean boyfriend?" he whispered, pretending to be hurt.

Laughing softly, she hugged him. "Just teasing you."

Lifting her up, he grabbed their shirts off the counter. "I wanna play Monopoly." he said, chuckling.

"You have an obsession with that game." she said as he walked to her room. Squirming, she got down from his arms. Crossing to a drawer, she pulled out a small bag. Rummaging though it, Thalia found a small bottle of concealer.

Humming slightly, she walked to her mirror and applied the makeup to the bruises on her neck. She sang softly, capping the bottle and replacing the bag.

Luke walked over, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek. "I love it when you sing." he murmured, nuzzling his head into hers affectionately.

Blushing, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm not that good." she said, and Luke gasped.

"You need to shut up, because you're amazing." he told her, pulling her arm. He half-dragged her to the game board which he had set up. Laughing, she glanced their shirts, which were discarded on her bed.

Grinning, Luke pulled her into his lap. She rested her back against his chest, and his hands snaked around her bare stomach.

"You go first." he said, handing her the dice.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books.**

**A/N: sorry for the delay, I've been in a weird place for a while. Later on in this chapter, the text with a dot "•" in front of it is when Luke is talking. I felt like it needed clarification.**

Sunday seemed to drag on and on. It was around 4 in the afternoon when Thalia felt her phone vibrate.

"Meet me outside? Surprise date.

-Luke xx"

Grinning, Thalia got off the couch and walked to her room, her thumbs flying across the keyboard.

"Gimme 5 minutes.

-Thalia xo"

She stripped out of her sweatpants and t-shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans. Rummaging around in her drawers, she settled on a purple long sleeved henley. With a quick swipe of eyeliner and mascara on both sides, she fixed her makeup.

Her phone went off again, and she read it while lacing up her Converse.

"Next time you decide to strip in your room, close your curtains, darling. ;)

-Luke xx"

She ran to the window and looked out to where Luke stood smirking up at her and leaning against his longboard. His usual ripped black jeans and army boots were paired with a maroon t-shirt, rolled up to his elbows. The tattoos on his arm were clearly visible and his blue-tipped hair stuck out at odd, yet cute angles around his face.

Slipping his black beanie over her choppy hair, she grabbed her bag and ran to the door.

"Be back later!" she called to a confused Jason as she shut the door behind her and walked down the stairs.

She hugged Luke, who smiled down at her. "Hey there, my little pixie." he teased, and she hit his arm slightly.

"You watched, not my fault." she said, pulling away.

He chuckled and tugged on her beanie. "Well, you watched me strip first!" he argued, and Thalia blushed slightly.

"Cause you're completely and utterly handsome." she murmured, tracing his abs through his shirt. She was a huge tease, and it drove Luke crazy in a good way. Smirking playfully as his breathing hitched, she stood on her tiptoes, leaning close to his mouth and licking over his snakebites.

Yep, definitely a tease.

She pulled away, grinning. "So what're we doing today?" she asked, taking his hand.

"We're teaching you how to longboard." Luke said, holding up his board.

With a grin on Thalia's face, the two walked down the crowded streets of Manhattan, hand in hand. They reached Central Park, and Luke set his board on the concrete. The park was fairly empty, and he gripped her hands and set a foot on the longboard to hold it in place.

"Okay, now step on the board." he said, and Thalia obliged, standing on it carefully. She wiggled around and lost her balance, falling towards him. He caught her and stood her up on the pavement as she looked up at him.

"I stink." she muttered, scuffing her toe in the dirt. She looked disappointed, and it made Luke upset. Wrapping an arm around her comfortingly, he pulled her against his chest.

"You're looking at a guy who nearly cracked his head open when he first stepped on a skateboard." he whispered, and she looked up, surprised. "You'll learn fast, I promise."

Nodding, she got back on the board, not falling off.

"Good. Now push off slowly." he instructed, taking her hands. She did as he said, rolling a few feet and balancing herself with his hands.

"There we go!" he said, and she kept herself going. He walked next to her, holding her hands. After rolling another couple feet, Thalia stepped off, kissing him softly. "Thanks." she said, and he rested his forehead on hers.

"You're welcome, pixie." he said, but lovingly. She stepped back on the board, taking his hands again.

"C'mon, I wanna keep going." she said, and he smiled.

"Alright, now we gotta teach you how to turn."

He laughed as she went pale. "I've gotta learn more?!"

* * *

"Babe, you've got ice cream on your nose." Thalia said, giggling. The two sat on a bench, licking at drippy ice cream cones.

"Where?!" he asked, crossing his eyes to try and see it. She laughed, scooting over and sitting in his lap.

She leaned closer, smiling as he blushed slightly. "Right here." she whispered as she kissed his nose, licking the ice cream off. Snuggling into Luke's chest for a moment and closing her eyes, she breathed in his scent.

"Peppermint and Axe." she murmured, kissing his chest softly and moving off him. He grinned, finishing his ice cream.

"What do you wanna do now?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Cuddle in your apartment." she said, standing up happily and finishing her ice cream. He stood up, wrapping his arms around her and looming over her.

He leaned closer, kissing her and licking over her lips. A small noise from pleasure escaped her mouth from the taste and feel of his tongue, and he smiled.

"You've got ice cream on your mouth." he murmured, forcing himself to pull away after a minute.

Stepping up on his longboard, Luke pulled her up in front of him, pushing off. Protectively wrapping an arm around her, they rode down the streets.

Once they got to the apartment, Thalia stopped into the bakery to greet Demeter. She'd taken a liking to the older, motherly woman. Calls of 'there's cereal in the cupboard!' sounded from inside as they climbed the the stairs and walked in.

Leaning his board against the wall in his room, Luke pulled his t-shirt off, flopping down on his bed and looking at Thalia. She leaned against the door, a playful smirk on her face. Removing her shirt slowly, she bit her lip while his eyes wandered over her body.

"Stop checking me out!" she teased, walking over and climbing on top of his back nimbly. Poking it gently, she wiggled around slightly.

He withdrew his head from its hiding spot in his pillows, turning to look at her. Giggling happily, Thalia rolled off him. With a frown he pulled her back on top of him, resting her on his chest.

"Mmh, that's better." he murmured, closing his eyes and letting her attack his mouth.

She ran her hands over his chest, pressing hard against his skin. It was almost like she needed to feel he was there, like it was anchoring her. Luke understood, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her tightly as she kissed him.

Pulling away, Thalia straddled his hips, sitting back and looking at him. He smiled softly, resting his hands on her bare waist.

She leaned over, resting her forearms on his shoulders. Trailing a line of kisses down his cheek and over his jawline, she smirked happily. He gasped softly at the contact, clutching for her shirt that wasn't there. Her mouth continued moving lower, nipping and sucking at his skin. A small groan escaped his mouth, and she smiled.

"C'mon, I know you can be louder than that." she teased, her teeth grazing over the skin on his neck. Moaning slightly, he gripped her thighs, and she gasped.

She shifted positions, resting one knee in between Luke's thighs and the other on the outside. Sliding further down, her mouth latched onto his collarbone, biting it roughly.

"T-Thals..." he half-moaned, his grip on her thighs tightening. She sucked at the skin as she rolled her hips against his, earning a long moan.

She repeated her actions while biting and sucking at his skin till it was bruised. Rutting her hips against his again, she kissed the bruise she left. "One collar for my amazing boyfriend." she said, kissing his nose and resting on his chest. He was in a different place, groaning profanities.

"You're amazing, Thal." Luke said, catching his breath. Smiling happily, she leaned closer.

Kissing him deeply, she pulled on his hair. "You're more amazing. More things to love. Like your hair." she mumbled against his mouth.

"Your eyes." he whispered, pulling back and resting his forehead on hers.

"Your sense of humor."

•"Your personality."

"Your piercings."

•"Your body."

"The feeling of your skin against mine." and he hummed in agreement.

•"The way you kiss me." She hit his arm softly at that, biting her lip.

"How you'll always protect me."

•"How I've got something worth protecting now."

"You."

"You." he agreed, kissing her forehead.

Thalia smiled at him, an idea already forming in her mind. "Can I sleep over?" she asked, giggling softly.

"We've got school tomorrow, but if we didn't, yes." he said, sighing softly.

Nodding reluctantly, she checked her phone. "9:00." she reported, rolling next to him and closing her eyes. "I don't wanna go."

He rested his arms behind his head. "I don't want you to leave." he murmured, looking at her. Sighing, she stood up, pulling her shirt over her head.

"It's probably cold out." Luke stated as he slid his shirt back on. He reached into his closet, pulling out a red pullover sweatshirt with a lifeguard graphic and handing it to her. She jumped up and down happily, putting it on.

"It smells like you!" she exclaimed, slightly muffled as she wiggled into it. Laughing, he took her hand and the two walked out into the living room. She picked her bag up off the floor and slung it onto her shoulder.

"Well, now you've got my beanie and my sweatshirt." he said, kissing her head as they walked out onto the street. Playing with his fingers as they walked, Thalia hummed a nameless tune.

Once they reached her apartment building, he hugged her tightly. Sirens were sounding all around the city, and she was starting to worry a little.

"Stay safe, okay?" she reminded him, cupping his cheek as she pulled away. Her thumb traced over his scar as a reminder of the bad things that would happen in New York if he wasn't careful.

He nodded, as if he were being told by a parent. "I will, just for you." he said, kissing her softly.

"I love you, Luke." she murmured, and he took her hands.

"I love you too, Thalia." he said, kissing her again quickly before turning, his hands slipping from her grip as he walked away. She reached for him slightly before letting her hands fall to her sides.

Raising a hand in a farewell, he grinned at her, trying to reassure her that he would be fine. She relaxed, waiting by the door of the building until his tall figure disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Luke strode down the dark streets, his hands in his pockets. A seemingly-permanent smile was plastered to his face from hanging out with the girl he loved so much.

Something rattled behind him, but he thought little of it. The city was always bustling, and that meant noise. However, a crash sounded in an alley, and he turned to look.

"Stop, Luke, you're being neurotic." he told himself, continuing down the almost-empty street. He could've sworn he saw Chris Rodruigez, one of Ethan's friends, walk past him. He didn't find it suspicious until he heard snickering behind him.

Then, everything went black.

**A/N: sorry for the cliffhanger! I promise I'll update real soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books.**

**A/N: ohmygods I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I pinky promise to have the next chapter up by Saturday. (9/7/13)**

Thalia woke up the next morning in an extremely good mood. She rolled out of bed, smiling for no reason and not feeling drowsy. Putting on her music, she danced around as she got dressed, giggling.

"This is weird...first time I've ever been happy on a Monday." she remarked, pulling on her black boots. She grabbed her backpack and expertly got her makeup done in under a minute.

She ran out of her room, pulling Luke's sweater on and his beanie over her shoulder-length black hair. "Wake up, Jason!" she yelled from the hallway, and she heard him groan from inside his room.

"Do I have to?" he grumbled as she flung the door open, laughing at him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and scowling at her.

She skipped over to him, jumping on his bed and ruffling his hair affectionately. "Yes, my stapler-eating brother. We've got school."

"Must you keep reminding me about that?" he asked, standing up slowly. He looked at her, hugging her sleepily.

Thalia laughed, hugging him back. "Good morning." she said, squeezing him tightly before pulling away. "I'm heading out early, okay? Gonna meet Luke at the bakery." she told him, and he nodded in approval.

She grinned and waved to him as she ran out of his room and to the door, grabbing her keys. Clambering down the stairs, she slung her backpack onto her back and walked out onto the street.

Frosty November air bit at her cheeks, and she pulled his beanie down closer around her face. She walked swiftly to the apartment as she checked her phone.

"Odd..." she thought as she saw a missed call from Demeter's house number. She shrugged it off, slipping her phone back into her pocket as she approached the small store.

Walking up to the door, she pulled on the handle and frowned in confusion when it wouldn't budge. The sign on the door read "closed", despite the fact that the bakery should've opened an hour ago. Her nerves got the better of her as she dashed up the stairs and knocked frantically on the door.

Not even a second later did the door swing open, revealing a frazzled Demeter.

The older woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good, it's you. Come in, quick." she urged, and Thalia did as she asked, setting her bag on the table.

"What happened? Why aren't you downstairs?" she asked, trying to stay calm. The expression on Demeter's face, however, made her lose it.

She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Luke hasn't come home. I haven't seen him since yesterday when he left to walk you home last night." she explained, jumping up as the phone rang.

The younger girl held her breath as the other answered. Someone spoke on the other end, and Thalia could make out a few of the words. Gasping, Demeter dropped the receiver. Rushing over, she gripped her hands as she picked up the phone.

"Is everything alright?" she asked the person on the other line, her voice becoming shaky.

The voice sighed impatiently. "Like I informed you earlier, a teenager under your guardianship has been admitted to the hospital. We checked his records."

Thalia's eyes widened in fear. "A-and his name?" she stammered, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Castellan. Luke Castellan."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Thalia and Jason were squished in the back of the delivery van with Demeter driving at the maximum speed limit. The woman was calm on the outside, yet obviously worried sick about the boy who'd been a son to her for years. Thalia, on the other hand, couldn't bring herself to stop crying.

"Shh, Thal. It's alright. They said he's in stable condition." her brother comforted, holding her close. She sobbed into her arms with his beanie pulled over her face.

She peeked out, her eyeliner smudged and smeared from crying. "H-He told m-m-me he would b-be safe." she stammered, hugging Jason tightly. He held her gently, picking her up as the car slammed to a stop in the parking lot of the emergency room.

Climbing down from his arms, Thalia wiped her eyeliner off with a tissue. "It's no use looking good at a time like this." she muttered, glaring bitterly at the floor as the older woman linked arms with her, pulling her into the bleak hospital.

They rushed down the halls, nearly knocking over a doctor. Demeter slammed her hands down on the front desk, startling the receptionist.

"I'm here for Luke Castellan." she said, rushing to speak. Jason caught up to them, coming to a stop next to Thalia. She held out her hand for him, not breaking eye contact with the receptionist. He grasped it, squeezing it tightly like he had all those years ago when their mother died.

"First floor, in the hallway outside the ICU to the left." the woman replied, clicking away on her computer. The three scrambled down the hallway, pausing once they reached the wing.

A nurse looked up from her clipboard where she had been scribbling furiously. "Can I help you?" she asked. Her voice was kind and soothing, and it calmed Thalia's nerves a bit.

"We're here for L-Luke Castellan..." she stuttered, holding back sobs. The woman, 'Sally' according to her nametag, smiled knowingly and patted the younger girl's shoulder.

"You must be Thalia. He's been talking to me about you. Luke's definitely a keeper, that one." she said, ushering them down the hall and sliding open a door.

"In here." she stated, and Thalia hung back while the others rushed in. Sally wrapped an arm around her shoulders, comforting her silently.

"Don't worry, he's not that banged up. He'll be fine." the kind nurse assured, and she sniffed, crying softly.

"Thalia?" a hoarse, raspy voice called, and her heart melted at the sound of his voice. Slowly, she walked into the room, bringing her hands to her face and covering her mouth with a gasp as she took in Luke's appearance.

He lay in the bed, propped up with pillows. His tanned skin had become pale, bruises and cuts peppering his face and arms. Bandages engulfed his torso, and Thalia could see where the blood had seeped through them. His lip was cut open, and she knew it was beginning to scar. A few machines beeped around him, and his arm was hooked up to an IV. Standing still, her eyes widened in shock and tears streamed down her face.

"Thalia, my love, please come here." he urged, holding out his good arm. She hesitated for a minute, shaking her head yet dashing towards him.

He smiled, expecting a hug. She had a different idea, raising her hand to hit him. Shutting his eyes tightly, he knew he deserved it and would let her hit him. She couldn't bring herself to do it, however, and turned to kick the wall instead.

"You promised me you would be safe!" she yelled, turning to face him. "And you let that bastard Nakamura hurt you!"

Hurt and remorse flickered in his piercing blue-gray eyes, and Thalia's heart broke. "Baby..." she mumbled, rushing to him. He wrapped his arm around her tightly, tears rolling down his face.

"C'mon, Jason, let's give them some space." Demeter whispered in a hushed tone, blowing a kiss to her adopted son before pulling Jason out of the room with her.

She clung to him desperately as if her life depended on it, sobbing into his shoulder. He cried as well, stroking her hair and murmuring sweet nothings into her ear.

"Thalia, I love you. I love you so, so much. I'm okay. Everything's okay." he whispered, calming her down. His lips brushed her ear, the words seeping through her skin and washing a feeling of security over her body.

She loosened her grip on his body, the feeling of wanting to cry leaving her. His thumb brushed the tears off her cheeks. "I love you too, Luke. So much that it hurts."

He looked her up and down, taking in the way she looked and mentally noting the streak marks from wiping off her eyeliner. "You're wearing my sweatshirt and beanie." he observed, a gentle smile spreading over his face. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "Just having you here makes me feel better already."

She chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You look terrible." she remarked, her spare hand wandering over his chest. Inspecting his injuries carefully, she never let his hand leave her grip for a moment.

Knocking softly on the door, Demeter peeked in. "Are you guys done?" she asked, smiling. Luke started to nod, but Thalia cut him off with a glance.

"Oh my god, I haven't even kissed you!" she exclaimed, and the older woman laughed and her head disappeared. Smirking happily, Luke's eyes wandered to her lips as he pulled her close, closing the gap between them and kissing her passionately. Smiling, she rested her hands on his chest and kissed back. A few soft cheers sounded from the doorway, and they looked up to see the three standing in the doorway, grinning at the couple.

For a moment, it felt like nothing else existed in the world except for happiness. Reality came flying back, unfortunately, and Sally cleared her throat.

"We've got a witness to clarify what happened last night. My son, Percy, saw it when he was walking home. I believe you two know him." she said, and Thalia nodded.

Crossing her fingers behind her back, she held her breath. "Is that enough to get Ethan suspended?" she asked timidly, and Luke took her hand. She could feel that his fingers were crossed too, and he held her hand tightly.

"Suspended? Ha! It should be enough to get him expelled!" Sally exclaimed, chuckling. "If I had a nickel for every time he beat up my Percy..."

Thalia grinned wide, laughing and flinging her arms around Luke.

"Ah, babe, watch the chest." he said, wincing slightly.

She pulled back sheepishly, scratching her head. "Sorry." she mumbled, looking down. He stretched his arm out wide, scooting over in the hospital bed. Understanding, she slipped in next to him happily.

"Is he free to come home?" Demeter asked, and Thalia saw her crossing her fingers behind her back.

Sally shook her head, frowning a little. "Tomorrow, tonight if we're lucky."

"I'm skipping school tomorrow to take care of you." Thalia whispered quietly enough that only he could hear. He nuzzled her neck happily and looked at her, a wide grin breaking on his face.

"Best girlfriend ever." he murmured as he pressed his lips to a bruise he had left at the back of Thalia's jaw. She gasped as her skin acknowledged the mouth that had marred it with a spark.

After another 20 minutes of Demeter fussing over Luke, the other nurses had told them that their time was up. Thalia reluctantly stood up, still clutching his hand.

"See you tomorrow, I guess..." she mumbled with a sad look on her face. Luke reached up and cupped her cheek gently, smiling.

"It's only a few hours, Thal. I've got my phone, anyways." he stated, and she leaned down and kissed him. At first, it was just a chaste kiss, but he deepened it desperately and made it passionate.

After a few seconds, she pulled away and gave a weak smile.

"There's my Thalia."

Jason tapped her arm gently and went to stand in the doorway. She gazed at Luke briefly before turning and walking out. Her hand slipped out of his grip, and he sighed softly and curled up, wishing she were in his arms as he drifted into sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own these books.**

**A/N: I know I'm a horrible author, I keep trolling you and leaving you hanging for weeks on end (much like Rick, if I do say so myself). But anyways, here's chapter 11! I apologize for the length, I had a block.** **But enjoy!**

Luke woke up the next day, in his own bed in his own black room and was quite content about it. The hospital had released him the previous night, despite all the cuts and bruises that dotted his body.

He stretched his legs out, and his toes peeked out from under his blanket. Curling back up, he flipped over and faced the wall, figuring he had a little time to sleep in until Thalia came. A sigh escaped his mouth as he burrowed into his pillow. He brushed a chunk of blue-tipped hair out of his eyes as he stared blankly at a band poster of Mayday Parade. Then it hit him like a blow to the head.

With a groan he sat upright, rubbing his eyes as he stood up. He struggled to pull off the shirt he had worn over his bandages and strip his bed of the sheets and covers, considering he had a scabbing gash down his left forearm. Glancing at the heap they had fallen in on the floor, he longed to hide in them and sleep again like he had as a child. He shook his head and frowned as he slid them into the corner.

"Gotta be able to protect her."

He stretched his inked arms over his chest, jerking them around to loosen the muscles and immediately gave a strangled cry of pain. He let a string of profanities fly through a slightly swollen lip as he held an arm around his injured torso. Working through the pain was crucial for him, though, and he heaved his mattress off his bed and leaned it against the wall.

"This one's for you, dad." he muttered bitterly as he threw a punch at the mattress and winced.

Kick. Punch. Punch. Kick Punch. He threw blow after blow at the mattress, training himself to become a better fighter. He fought roughly, using his anger at Ethan and his dad and everyone who had ever hurt him as his drive. Protecting his loved ones was more important than resting after his encounter with the neighborhood bullies, wasn't it? He was determined to be stronger and more skilled than them. He had to be able to defend himself and protect his beloved girlfriend. Muscles aching and scabs tearing open a little, he chewed on his snakebites as he continued to fight the mattress. At this point his knuckles were raw and starting to bleed, giving him a satisfying shock of pain every time a punch landed on the fabric. The springs squeaked and groaned louder with every kick. He didn't even hear the apartment door open or the footsteps rush to his room, the person belonging to them gasping in surprise.

"What the hell?!" Thalia exclaimed as her black-lined eyes widened. Luke didn't look up and kept attacking his bed, his bandages becoming red in places and his black-and-white plaid pajama pants dragging lower.

She walked around him and wrapped her thin arms around his chest, hugging him gently but tightly. His tense muscles relaxed instantly and he tilted his head to look at her.

"Hey, Thals." he mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning back into her. She held him tightly and kissed his bare shoulder.

"Hey." she murmured, tapping the back of his heel with her foot and glancing at him. He understood and took a step, and she led him out of his room and into the bathroom. He sat down on the cold tile floor and watched as she bustled around, scavenging around in the cabinets.

Setting the array of medical supplies on the floor, she sat on his legs carefully and kissed his face. Her thin, nimble fingers set themselves to work unwrapping the bandages that adorned his upper body, her electric blue eyes never once leaving his piercing grayish-blue ones.

She looked down then, examining the reopened cuts with a reproving tisk. Gripping her hand as she cleaned them with hydrogen peroxide, he winced softly but didn't make a sound. New bandages promptly replaced the old ones, which she tossed into the trash can. He let her tinier fingers rest under his long ones, scrutinizing his knuckles and bandaging them too.

It wasn't her determination that scared him the most, it was her complete and utter silence.

She put away the supplies and he stood up. Taking her small hand in his large one, he could feel how cold her fingers were. With a look she half-dragged him back into his room where she knocked the mattress down flat on the floor. Knowing she wouldn't be able to move it back onto his bed, she draped a sheet over it and helped him lay back down with his blankets wrapped around him.

"I'll be right back."

She strode into the kitchen and set a pot in the sink, filling it with water. Turning the stove on, she set the pot to boil while she found instant noodles in the cupboard. Meanwhile, Luke sat in his room, his feet lifted in the air as he inspected them. He tried amusing himself by wiggling and flapping them around like a small child.

Thalia reappeared a few minutes later and burst into hysterical laughter at the sight of him. She set the two cups of instant soup down and promptly collapsed next to him, still laughing.

After a few minutes she calmed down and sighed, sitting up and climbing into his lap. He smiled and kissed her cheek gently.

She handed him a cup of the ramen, which he took gratefully. Swirling a knot of the noodles onto his spoon, he ate them cautiously. Thalia copied his actions with her own soup and snuggled into his chest, sighing in contentment.

"Two of my favorite things. Ramen noodles and you."

He mock-pouted. "So you love ramen more than meeee!?" He whined, drawing out the last word for extra drama.

Thalia merely giggled and kissed his face, eating some more. He watched her proudly, kissing her head. "It's nice to see you eating." He said.

She blushed softly but a smile played at her lips. "I know this little blonde alien who always tells me how much he loves me and that I'm perfect to him. He helped me to start eating again." She mumbled, looking up at Luke. He grinned proudly and kept eating, then paused for a second and kissed her nose.

"I better be that blonde alien."


End file.
